The Enchanter
by Midnight Rain1
Summary: Christine, as a young child, performs at a large fair with her father. Suppose that Erik and Christine's first encounter did not occur at the Paris Opera...


Disclaimer: The characters in this story are not mine and they never ever will be. I'll deal with the disappointment somehow….

A/N: I'm aware that the time frame for this story doesn't exactly line up. According to Susan Kay…it's off by a couple of years….but we're going to pretend. Ok, lets use our imaginations! lol :)

I hope you all enjoy this, I enjoyed writing it! :)

"Christine!" 

Christine turned at the sound of her name and broke into a smile. She skipped the few yards that separated her and her father and jumped into his arms. She laughed as he swung her high into the air before settling her back down. 

Charles Daae attempted to give his daughter a stern look, but couldn't bring himself to wipe the smile off of his face at the sight of the happy child.

"Christine, you mustn't run off today. This is a large fair and within an hour it will be filled with so many people! We can't have you getting lost now can we Lotte?" he said, grinning and taking the child by the hand.

Christine laughed innocently. "Don't worry Papa, I won't get lost."

Charles smiled and led Christine through the fair grounds. They were empty of crowds because of the early hour; the sun had just come up. However, there was much activity as everyone prepared for the arrival of the fair goers.

Venders were setting up their wares on small wooden carts that could be pushed all around the fair grounds. Apples, roasted nuts, sticky candies, and chocolates filled the carts as the owners arranged the food appealingly and set up small signs portraying the item and its cost.

They passed a large tent with people bustling all around. There was obviously a large circus act in town. Christine could hear the roar of lions and the chatter of monkeys. She pulled on her father's hand.

"Oh please Papa! May I see the animals?"

She looked into his eyes pleadingly. Her father looked up at the sun. It should still be awhile before anyone begins to arrive…they had time for a quick look and he could never seem to refuse the look Christine gave him when she desperately wanted something.

He held her hand tight as they circled around the big, red tent and around to the back. The stench of the animals hit them full in the face and Christine held her nose as they approached. However, she soon forgot the smell as she caught sight of the animals.

"Oh Papa look!" Christine shouted as she let go of her father's hand and ran to a large, metal cage that contained a large, orange tiger.

"Hurry Papa! Come see! Oh what is it Papa?" Christine asked, jumping up and down in her excitement.

Charles laughed at her excitement. He loved to see her so happy and full of energy. "It's a tiger Lotte," he told her. "They come from India."

"India…" Christine said slowly, testing the word on her tongue. "India!" she declared, she liked the word. "I bet it's pretty there," she said smiling up at her father.

"Is it pretty in India, Tiger?" she asked the large cat that was pacing around its cage.

The tiger roared in response and Christine giggled with delight.

As much as Charles hated to pull Christine away, they really had to get going.

He took her hand. "Come along Lotte, we can come back and see the animals later."

"Goodbye Tiger!" Christine called over her shoulder as the two walked farther along the grounds.

They passed several jugglers warming up with apples and potatoes, but nearby were stacks of torches that could be lit and juggled back and forth between two people. They passed a gypsy, sitting in a tent of deep purple, setting up a crystal ball. They passed contortionists stretching themselves in a small tent.

Christine soaked in all of these sights. She had been to many fairs, but none so large and extravagant as this! 

Then they passed another large tent, almost as large as the one for the circus. 

"Papa, what's in there?" Christine asked as they passed by.

Charles stopped to read the flyer posted outside. It was a freak show. 

"Nothing Christine, you are not to go in there, do you understand?" Charles said seriously.

Christine was taken aback by her father's serious remark and nodded dumbly. She stared over her shoulder and stared, wondering what could possibly be inside there that she was forbidden to see.

At last, Charles stopped at a small, empty plot of grass. "This is where we will play Lotte," he said, turning to his daughter and smiling.

Christine smiled back and skipped off to pick a wildflower she had spotted growing in the grass. Charles smiled as he watched his daughter's play and slung the violin case he carried off of his back. He sat down on the ground and tuned the instrument carefully, ensuring perfect sound. 

As the sun rose steadily higher into the sky, people began to arrive. Charles set up a large crate he had taken from a vender and stood upon it as if it were a stage. And he began to play. His violin instantly drew a small crowd. As soon as the crowd was large enough, Charles pulled Christine onto the crate beside him and she began to sing. The wonderful folk melody came flying from her throat effortlessly and the notes danced and encompassed everyone who listened. They stared in awe at the little girl, who couldn't have been more than four years old, but could create such a beautiful sound.

Different groups of people came and went, tossing coins into the violin case that Charles had left open for that purpose. At noon, Charles put away his violin so he and Christine could rest and get something to eat. 

As Charles purchased lunch for the two of them, Christine looked all around her, taking in the crowds. Suddenly there were multiple shrieks of delight accompanied by gasps and applause. Christine looked for its source and spotted a medium size, pitch-black tent. She hesitated, looking up at her father, who was busy arguing with the vender about his change, then slipped away. She crossed the small space to the tent and walked inside. 

The tent was so packed with people that she could hardly breathe. She tried to see what they were looking at, but it was no use. 

She tugged on the sleeve of a woman standing nearby, "Excuse me," Christine said politely. "But what is everyone looking at?"

The woman smiled down at her. "Why, this is the tent of Erik the Enchanter! Surely you have heard of him." When Christine shook her head the woman said, "Well push your way to the front child! Everyone should be able to see this!"

Christine wondered who this Erik the Enchanter was. Someone wonderful judging by what that woman had said! Christine shoved her way to the front of the crowd. Most people stepped aside and let her pass when they realized that she was just a child. Soon she stood at the very front of the crowd and could clearly see this enchanter.

He was a tall man with black hair, dressed in a black dress suit and a long black cape with red lining. But the thing that made Christine stare was the black, satin mask that covered the man's face.

Erik had watched the little girl as she had pushed her way to the front of the people; he was rather amused by her persistence. She was a beautiful child, with deep blue eyes and a mass of curly brown hair. He walked over to her, ignoring the way she stared at his mask. 

"What is your name child?" he demanded.

"…Christine," she said in a soft voice.

"Well Christine," Erik said gently. "I do hope you enjoy the show." And with a wave of his hand a red rose appeared from thin air and he presented it to her with a flourish.

Christine laughed and clapped her hands at his trick. He was a magician! 

The show continued with Erik doing more simple magic tricks. Objects would float in the air, disappear and reappear again. But this man was not only a magician, but a ventriloquist as well! His voice seemed to come from every corner of the tent all at once. Then it would emit from a teapot sitting on a table, or from behind the crowd. Christine gasped and applauded with everyone else, thrilled by this man with so many talents.

And then, Erik began to sing. Christine had heard beautiful music before, and had sung some of her own, but never had their been a voice like Erik's. Tears spilled down her cheeks involuntarily as the majesty and depth of his voice swelled through the entire crowd, leaving not a dry eye in the tent. As the last note echoed off of the walls, Christine sank to her knees, weeping from the beauty of it all.

"Christine!" 

At the sound of her father calling her name, Christine stood quickly and turned to the back of the tent. At the same moment that Erik removed his mask. Terrified screams suddenly filled the tent, replacing the beautiful sound of Erik's voice. Christine watched as women fainted and people gaped in horror. She swung back around to look at Erik, but she saw nothing wrong, he was the same man, dressed in black who wore the black mask.

"Christine!" her father called again.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a coin that her father had given her that she might buy a piece of candy. She took a step forward and held it out to Erik, who, looking surprised, held out his palm for her to drop the coin into. 

Christine handed him the coin and smiled. "Goodbye Erik," she said and pushed through the crowd to find her father.

Erik stared after the little girl in shock. He looked down at his open palm and at the small piece of silver she had handed him. Why had she not been repelled by his face? She acted as though she didn't notice anything wrong! Erik looked up again, still gaping, ignoring the coins that came showering at his feet, wondering who that little girl had been.

Outside Christine found her father who immediately scooped her up into his arms.

"Christine! Didn't I tell you not to wander off? I was so worried!" he said, squeezing her against him.

"I'm sorry Papa," Christine said. "But I had the most wonderful time Papa!"

"It's all right Lotte, I'm just glad you're safe, now come along. We have another performance today," he said, putting her down and leading her away.

Christine stared back over her shoulder at the tent of Erik the Enchanter. His voice seemed to fill her soul with raw emotion that she couldn't quite name. He was such a wonderful man. She hoped she would meet him again someday.

A/N: Ok, so yes, technically Erik is meant to leave for Persia approximately 9 years before Christine is born….but I just had to write this phic. The idea came to me and I just couldn't get it out of my head! So there you are, lol

Ok, now the big questions! Did you like it? Hate it? Think it was stupid? I want your opinion! So please review!! :)


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